Issued: 0530hrs Wednesday 18th February 2009
Duty forecaster: Simon Keeling
Best of the sunshine in Iberia, but colder weather moving into the east
Wednesday
High pressure is bringing a fine day across all parts of Spain and Portugal today. There will be lots of dry weather here and some good spells of sunshine too. Most of France is going to be dry and cool, but some thicker cloud and outbreaks of rain could affect eastern parts of France. There is the threat of rain becoming heavier through the Low Countries. Much colder weather moving west through Germany and perhaps bringing some sleet and snow here. Cold through Poland but brighter with some sunshine after snow showers overnight. Some wintry precipitation through Austria and Hungary whilst cloud and some rain and sleet affects Switzerland.
Sunny spells and a few showers for Italy, but mainly dry here. More dry weather and some sunshine to come across Greece, with this sunshine extending into Turkey, Cyprus and Crete too. More sunny spells across Bulgaria and Romania and dry here too.
To the north it will be very cold over the Baltic States with snow showers here, perhaps turning more persistent later. Finland is going to be cold and dry with some sunny spells. More very cold conditions for Sweden, but mainly dry. Fair through Denmark but then cloud and sleet affecting the western parts of Norway.
Thursday
A fair day again for Spain and Portugal with some sunny spells here. A few showers and thicker cloud over western France, but mainly dry. Colder conditions will be into the east of France, whilst some cloud and some patchy sleet troubles the north coasts of the Netherlands. For Germany high pressure brings a cold and dry day with some sunshine, whilst Poland has a few snow showers. A cold and dry day to come over Austria, Hungary and Switzerland with a widespread frost here.
Fair for the north of Italy, and cold here, but through central and southern parts of the country there will be more in the way of cloud and rain, this heavy in the south and turning increasingly to sleet on its northern edge. Mainly fair for Greece with some sunshine, whilst heavy showers pass into the west of Turkey. The east should be dry with some sunny spells. To the north some snow showers may affect Bulgaria and Romania.
A period of more persistent snow, some of it heavy extends through the Baltic States, while Finland becomes increasingly windy but staying cold. More cold, yet dry weather in Sweden and Denmark with cloud and a few snow showers for Norway.